sense as a suspect? He's a movie star, he has plenty of money—”
“And he fled the crime scene!” Madison screeched. “How do we know that he didn't have a motive for killing Zahara Bell? You've known him for a total of twenty minutes, Park. He could be a total serial killer in the making.”
“Serial killers usually
are
very intelligent andcharming,” Lex chimed in. “That's why it takes years and years for them to get caught.” She popped the cigar back between her lips.
“Who's to say he didn't have this whole thing all detailed and tagged?” Madison went on. “And that you weren't just another part of his master plan?”
“You both sound ridiculous,” Park told them coldly. “I know Jeremy's innocent, and I know I wasn't only a quickie plaything for him. We have a connection. I felt it the second we set eyes on each other, and so did he. I'm not his little pawn. I'm smart enough to see through that kind of bullshit. And besides”—she lowered herself into one of the plush chairs—“how on earth would Jeremy Bleu have gotten ahold of one of Lex's dresses? We've never met him before tonight, remember?”
“
That's
why it's a mystery!” Madison exclaimed. “Because we
don't
know. He could very easily have had a motive to kill Zahara Bell, and the Avenue diamond is worth a pretty penny. Maybe he's one of those people who believes the diamond has some sort of mystical power. Maybe he's not as wealthy as we think. Maybe he made bad investments, blew it all.
Maybe
he's sitting in his hotel room
right now
staring at it.”
“While we're here preparing to walk through a major scandal,” Lex added. “I checked the news when we got home. We're all over the channels.”
“I'm telling you,” Park said calmly. “You've bothgot it wrong. Jeremy Bleu is not a killer. He has a killer body and a killer smile, but he's not actually a killer.”
Madison felt a wave of angry heat flush her face. She looked at Park. She looked at Lex. She looked around the room and then back at Park again. “I won't stand for it!” she shouted. “I won't wait around here and let this horrible scandal take root. Jeremy Bleu owes you—us—an explanation. And he's going to give it to us before midnight! Do you hear me?
Do you?
”
“The streets of SoHo can hear you,” Park said quietly. “Just calm down.”
“Don't tell me to calm down!” Madison whirled around and stomped out of the library. She flew down the hall and into her bedroom, pulling the Chanel gown over her shoulders and tossing it onto her bed. Without giving it much thought, she started ruffling through her closet for something else to wear.
Park and Lex appeared on the threshold. “What are you doing?” Lex asked her worriedly. “You look like you're gonna explode.”
“I'll tell you what I'm doing,” Madison replied sharply, disappearing into her closet. “I'm going right over to the Pierre, and I'm going to drag Jeremy Bleu kicking and screaming onto Fifth Avenue.”
Park sighed again. “Madison, I won't let you go out there. Not with all those reporters on the prowl.
Not with a killer on the loose. And not after that text message.”
“Well,
I
won't let
you
ruin our name and our reputations just because you're under the spell of Jeremy Bleu's banana,” Madison snapped. She pulled two pairs of jeans off their hangers and, deeming them inappropriate for what she was about to do, hurled them across the room.
“Wait a minute, Madison.” Lex walked into the room and held her hands up in protest. “How the hell are you gonna go outside without causing a stir? Reporters will follow you, and they'll have a field day with it. What if you can't get to Jeremy? How bad will that look for us?”
“Not as bad as the newspapers, and definitely not as bad as pictures of us being hauled in for questioning in a murder we didn't commit.” Madison came out of the closet holding a tattered pair of black jeans and a bulky sweater she'd purchased in
“And he fled the crime scene!” Madison screeched. “How do we know that he didn't have a motive for killing Zahara Bell? You've known him for a total of twenty minutes, Park. He could be a total serial killer in the making.”
“Serial killers usually
are
very intelligent andcharming,” Lex chimed in. “That's why it takes years and years for them to get caught.” She popped the cigar back between her lips.
“Who's to say he didn't have this whole thing all detailed and tagged?” Madison went on. “And that you weren't just another part of his master plan?”
“You both sound ridiculous,” Park told them coldly. “I know Jeremy's innocent, and I know I wasn't only a quickie plaything for him. We have a connection. I felt it the second we set eyes on each other, and so did he. I'm not his little pawn. I'm smart enough to see through that kind of bullshit. And besides”—she lowered herself into one of the plush chairs—“how on earth would Jeremy Bleu have gotten ahold of one of Lex's dresses? We've never met him before tonight, remember?”
“
That's
why it's a mystery!” Madison exclaimed. “Because we
don't
know. He could very easily have had a motive to kill Zahara Bell, and the Avenue diamond is worth a pretty penny. Maybe he's one of those people who believes the diamond has some sort of mystical power. Maybe he's not as wealthy as we think. Maybe he made bad investments, blew it all.
Maybe
he's sitting in his hotel room
right now
staring at it.”
“While we're here preparing to walk through a major scandal,” Lex added. “I checked the news when we got home. We're all over the channels.”
“I'm telling you,” Park said calmly. “You've bothgot it wrong. Jeremy Bleu is not a killer. He has a killer body and a killer smile, but he's not actually a killer.”
Madison felt a wave of angry heat flush her face. She looked at Park. She looked at Lex. She looked around the room and then back at Park again. “I won't stand for it!” she shouted. “I won't wait around here and let this horrible scandal take root. Jeremy Bleu owes you—us—an explanation. And he's going to give it to us before midnight! Do you hear me?
Do you?
”
“The streets of SoHo can hear you,” Park said quietly. “Just calm down.”
“Don't tell me to calm down!” Madison whirled around and stomped out of the library. She flew down the hall and into her bedroom, pulling the Chanel gown over her shoulders and tossing it onto her bed. Without giving it much thought, she started ruffling through her closet for something else to wear.
Park and Lex appeared on the threshold. “What are you doing?” Lex asked her worriedly. “You look like you're gonna explode.”
“I'll tell you what I'm doing,” Madison replied sharply, disappearing into her closet. “I'm going right over to the Pierre, and I'm going to drag Jeremy Bleu kicking and screaming onto Fifth Avenue.”
Park sighed again. “Madison, I won't let you go out there. Not with all those reporters on the prowl.
Not with a killer on the loose. And not after that text message.”
“Well,
I
won't let
you
ruin our name and our reputations just because you're under the spell of Jeremy Bleu's banana,” Madison snapped. She pulled two pairs of jeans off their hangers and, deeming them inappropriate for what she was about to do, hurled them across the room.
“Wait a minute, Madison.” Lex walked into the room and held her hands up in protest. “How the hell are you gonna go outside without causing a stir? Reporters will follow you, and they'll have a field day with it. What if you can't get to Jeremy? How bad will that look for us?”
“Not as bad as the newspapers, and definitely not as bad as pictures of us being hauled in for questioning in a murder we didn't commit.” Madison came out of the closet holding a tattered pair of black jeans and a bulky sweater she'd purchased in
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